Free Weekly Program Offers “America’s Bailout” to Motivated Arizonans
(TEMPE, AZ – April 23, 2009) People with the drive to start their own businesses are getting the chance, thanks to Start Up Now, a groundbreaking program dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship. In each workshop, Start Up Now takes a group of complete strangers, many of them recently unemployed, and leads them through a daylong, high-powered business development and brainstorming session that ends with an initial idea and structure for a new enterprise. Since the program’s inception last month, four separate enterprises have been established.
“There’s an incredible amount of entrepreneurial talent and business know-how walking the streets these days,” says Peter J. Burns,III founder of Club Entrepreneur, the Institute for Entrepreneurship and the eFactory as well as the sponsor and host of Start Up Now. “What we do is provide these people with the tools and support they need to turn these assets into real, money-making enterprises.”
Start Up Now workshops are held weekly at the Tempe-based eFactory, a state of the art facility that houses 50 to 60 start up businesses and provides access to collaborators, advisors and back end office support. The Start Up Now program, which includes a complimentary lunch, covers the basics of launching a new business and provides a wealth of start up ideas and opportunities. Through the affiliated Club E Network, participants in the workshop are able to access additional resources including small business and early venture funding opportunities.
“In the morning we come to agreement about the business that we will create together. In the afternoon we put the specifics of the company together and by the end, participants decide if they are in or out,” says Sonia Graham, CEO of Maximum Business Advantage and a Start Up Now creator and facilitator. “On average 30% of participants become partners in the new business. Many of the rest choose to return again until they find the business idea that hits their passion.”
Examples of businesses currently in the early stages of development thanks to Start Up Now include:
* An online information portal for entrepreneurs and start ups
* A company that will transfer surplus equipment and supplies from large businesses to schools and foundations
* A company focused on providing entrepreneurial education and funding for high school students to enable them to earn a college degree
* A child care center at the eFactory.
Start Up Now is part of an entrepreneurial movement called “We are America’s Bailout” where dedicated, local entrepreneurs come together to launch businesses and prosper on their own. “Nobody here is waiting for a government handout or for a job to materialize, adds Burns. “They are combining talents, skill sets and resources to start business ventures and turn America around.”
To register or for more information see:
startupnowworkshops.com
weareamericasbailout.com
clubefactory.com
clubenetwork.com
CONTACT: Katie Cobb/Actual Media
katiecobb@actual-media.com
602.478.1331
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Play To Your Own "Genius"
As a "pureblood" entrepreneur, I'm often asked how do I put complicated deals together so quickly(?) when others look at the same line-up of components and facts and don't recognize any discernible pattern...let alone see the opportunity to profit. The simple answer is that I play to my "genius," that is I do what comes naturally, which happens to be recognizing patterns, putting disparate pieces together and monetizing that effort.
We all have our God-given talents, be it in the creative zone of developing graphically beautiful web sites, figuring out how to organize members of an entrepreneurial team (equivalent to herding cats) or developing tech solutions and financial models for any kind of business. Entrepreneurs, being the "lone wolves" that they often are, sometimes forget the importance of collaborating with a team with complimentary skills sets, often making the effort of moving forward, stronger, quicker and better.
Doing business well is all about how one gets along with other people. If one can respect another's talents and work together to achieve a common goal, both win. When a team of like-minded entrepreneurs learns to successfully delegate responsibilities and creates a system of accountability and measurement towards reaching that common goal...magic happens.
The trick is to not only "play to your own genius," but allow others to do the same.
Recently, the creators of our successful StartUp Now workshops, Jim and Sonia Graham and I had a meeting to see how we might improve upon what we had started with the workshops. Out of the four sessions to date, there were four new businesses started, which is wonderful. However, only a handful of each of the four groups decided to participate in each new business launch, leaving most of each group on their own.
I offered to use my "genius" of recognizing opportunity in a free 45 minute session with any of the StartUp Now group members that wanted to explore the possibilities of starting their own new business, outside of their group, or perhaps move into one of our eFactory business opportunities. I reasoned that given a focused session one-on-one with the erstwhile entrepreneur, I could recognize that individual's passion and motivations, fashioning an opportunity for them on the spot. At least that's the plan and if members from the upcoming April 30th StartUp Now workshop take me up on it...we'll end up having more than one business started from each workshop from now on.
Here's another tip...not everything works the first time you try it. Practice does make perfect and we learn more from what doesn't work than what does and continue to improve with each lesson learned. Now, I don't know how many, if at all, members of our upcoming StartUp Now workshops will take me up on my offer to fast track them into self-employment but I'm a big believer in "nothing ventured, nothing gained," so if you happen to be in our April 30th or subsequent StartUp Now workshops and don't want to join the group business effort...take a shot and schedule a talk with me. You never know what can result from one simple conversation and maybe you'll find your own "genius" too.
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
We all have our God-given talents, be it in the creative zone of developing graphically beautiful web sites, figuring out how to organize members of an entrepreneurial team (equivalent to herding cats) or developing tech solutions and financial models for any kind of business. Entrepreneurs, being the "lone wolves" that they often are, sometimes forget the importance of collaborating with a team with complimentary skills sets, often making the effort of moving forward, stronger, quicker and better.
Doing business well is all about how one gets along with other people. If one can respect another's talents and work together to achieve a common goal, both win. When a team of like-minded entrepreneurs learns to successfully delegate responsibilities and creates a system of accountability and measurement towards reaching that common goal...magic happens.
The trick is to not only "play to your own genius," but allow others to do the same.
Recently, the creators of our successful StartUp Now workshops, Jim and Sonia Graham and I had a meeting to see how we might improve upon what we had started with the workshops. Out of the four sessions to date, there were four new businesses started, which is wonderful. However, only a handful of each of the four groups decided to participate in each new business launch, leaving most of each group on their own.
I offered to use my "genius" of recognizing opportunity in a free 45 minute session with any of the StartUp Now group members that wanted to explore the possibilities of starting their own new business, outside of their group, or perhaps move into one of our eFactory business opportunities. I reasoned that given a focused session one-on-one with the erstwhile entrepreneur, I could recognize that individual's passion and motivations, fashioning an opportunity for them on the spot. At least that's the plan and if members from the upcoming April 30th StartUp Now workshop take me up on it...we'll end up having more than one business started from each workshop from now on.
Here's another tip...not everything works the first time you try it. Practice does make perfect and we learn more from what doesn't work than what does and continue to improve with each lesson learned. Now, I don't know how many, if at all, members of our upcoming StartUp Now workshops will take me up on my offer to fast track them into self-employment but I'm a big believer in "nothing ventured, nothing gained," so if you happen to be in our April 30th or subsequent StartUp Now workshops and don't want to join the group business effort...take a shot and schedule a talk with me. You never know what can result from one simple conversation and maybe you'll find your own "genius" too.
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Day Care for Single Mother Entrepreneurs...
Every session of the "StartUp Now" workshops (www.startupnowworkshops.com) brings new people and new innovations. Friday's event was no exception. In this mix of a dozen or more participants and observers was a public service employee exploring her options in the event of yet another budget cut that will end her employment, a 19 year old entering business for the first time and a single mother of three who yearns to become a self-reliant business owner. Other attendees included a longtime retailer who recently lost his home furnishings store and sought a new start, a strategy coach, an attorney/entrepreneur and a provider of human resources for small businesses, which was "on the cloud" - meaning available through the power of the Net on an open source platform.
Over this 6 hour session, this group of former strangers became a cohesive group that drilled down from a half a dozen business start-up possibilities to one very powerful and timely concept. The single mother championed a day care facility for entrepreneurially-minded mothers and our Tempe-based eFactory will become the beta test site for this terrific idea. Specifically, stay-at-home mothers of small children aren't able to go to regular jobs or start anything but a home-based business because of the extreme cost and unreliability of child care for their little ones. Start-up entrepreneurs from the single mother demographic is one of the fasting growing segments and until now, these women were compelled to remain at home.
With the advent of a "child friendly" environment that caters to the office needs and collaboration of like-minded entrepreneurs, these women can become productive and self-supporting entrepreneurs. The eFactory (www.clubefactory.com) will spearhead this effort by developing a child care facility within its structure, which will allow single mother entrepreneurs to come and work on a 24 hour basis, knowing their children are safe in the same work environment in which they are operating their new businesses.
This one single business idea can have a remarkable ripple effect on our economy. Imagine the power of releasing the collective creativity of America's greatest multi-taskers - the single mother - by providing a safe environment for their children combined with a resource like the eFactory to foster their entrepreneurial efforts?
This is just one more success story unfolding at the StartUp Now workshops at the eFactory. Learn more by visiting www.startupnowworkshops.com and send your friends that are out of work to this invaluable and free resource. Lives are being changed for the better at StartUp Now. Please join us in our efforts.
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
Club Entrepreneur (www.clubenetwork.com)
eFactory (www.clubefactory.com)
College of Entrepreneurship (www.clubefactoryedu.com)
pjb@clubefactory.com
Over this 6 hour session, this group of former strangers became a cohesive group that drilled down from a half a dozen business start-up possibilities to one very powerful and timely concept. The single mother championed a day care facility for entrepreneurially-minded mothers and our Tempe-based eFactory will become the beta test site for this terrific idea. Specifically, stay-at-home mothers of small children aren't able to go to regular jobs or start anything but a home-based business because of the extreme cost and unreliability of child care for their little ones. Start-up entrepreneurs from the single mother demographic is one of the fasting growing segments and until now, these women were compelled to remain at home.
With the advent of a "child friendly" environment that caters to the office needs and collaboration of like-minded entrepreneurs, these women can become productive and self-supporting entrepreneurs. The eFactory (www.clubefactory.com) will spearhead this effort by developing a child care facility within its structure, which will allow single mother entrepreneurs to come and work on a 24 hour basis, knowing their children are safe in the same work environment in which they are operating their new businesses.
This one single business idea can have a remarkable ripple effect on our economy. Imagine the power of releasing the collective creativity of America's greatest multi-taskers - the single mother - by providing a safe environment for their children combined with a resource like the eFactory to foster their entrepreneurial efforts?
This is just one more success story unfolding at the StartUp Now workshops at the eFactory. Learn more by visiting www.startupnowworkshops.com and send your friends that are out of work to this invaluable and free resource. Lives are being changed for the better at StartUp Now. Please join us in our efforts.
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
Club Entrepreneur (www.clubenetwork.com)
eFactory (www.clubefactory.com)
College of Entrepreneurship (www.clubefactoryedu.com)
pjb@clubefactory.com
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Hope is in the hands of America's entrepreneurs
Yesterday, April 10th, was a remarkable day at the eFactory in Tempe. While a dozen recently displaced executives and observers were being skillfully led by the talented facilitating team of Jim and Sonia Graham in our 4th StartUp Now workshop, another equally important event was occurring at the other end of our facility.
Members of the newly formed Entrepreneurs Bank Network (www.entrepreneursbanknetwork.com) and one of the top executives at the Arizona SBA Office met for the first time to brainstorm. The presidents and accompanying execs at Sonoran Bank, Republic Bank and BNC Business Bank offered their thoughts and ideas of how to weather the credit meltdown crises and position themselves to take advantage of pending SBA programs that will help the beleaguered small businesses of America. The SBA's Jim Pipper brought material, insight and sage advice on how, by all joining together, we could ally ourselves to help support the Arizona-based small business community and prove the collaborative model for the rest of the country. Also in the meeting were eFactory core team members, Tony Hudson and Paul Rudolph, with two distinguished community leaders, Jim Tilmon and Denise Meredith.
Specifically, the SBA is working on a Stimulus-generated small business loan program called the ARC (America's Recovery Capital), which would offer $35,000 in a 100% SBA guaranteed loan to virtually any small business in America. CNN reported this new program, announced by the White House but there was only one small problem...there were no banks participating in the program yet. When I learned of this from the SBA's Jim Pipper, I called the meeting with members of our locally-based Entrepreneurs Bank Network to see how we might explore how our band of small community banks might lead the way to pioneer this movement.
Solidarity was reached and Jim Pipper promised to keep us in the loop as things developed within the SBA to see how we might all "pull the trigger" and be the first in this space. If we are successful, the State of Arizona will lead our Nation in helping to rebuild its small business infrastructure by offering low cost Stimulus loans to our area's small business through the ARC and other programs. Club Entrepreneur and the eFactory will lead the way for its membership to be the first in line to receive help. Everyone wins here.
Never before in the history of the United States has there been a more important time for small business, small banks and the SBA to collaborate. Yesterday's meeting was the start of this process with its Entrepreneurs Bank Network and we are just getting started.
America dearly needs our help and I firmly believe that it is only through the dedicated and tireless work of her entrepreneurs that this is going to happen. Please join us in the grass roots movement of "We Are America's Bailout," (www.weareamericasbailout.com), Club Entrepreneur (www.clubenetwork.com and the eFactory (www.clubefactory.com) to keep up with what we are trying to do to help the cause.
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
pjb@clubefactory.com
Members of the newly formed Entrepreneurs Bank Network (www.entrepreneursbanknetwork.com) and one of the top executives at the Arizona SBA Office met for the first time to brainstorm. The presidents and accompanying execs at Sonoran Bank, Republic Bank and BNC Business Bank offered their thoughts and ideas of how to weather the credit meltdown crises and position themselves to take advantage of pending SBA programs that will help the beleaguered small businesses of America. The SBA's Jim Pipper brought material, insight and sage advice on how, by all joining together, we could ally ourselves to help support the Arizona-based small business community and prove the collaborative model for the rest of the country. Also in the meeting were eFactory core team members, Tony Hudson and Paul Rudolph, with two distinguished community leaders, Jim Tilmon and Denise Meredith.
Specifically, the SBA is working on a Stimulus-generated small business loan program called the ARC (America's Recovery Capital), which would offer $35,000 in a 100% SBA guaranteed loan to virtually any small business in America. CNN reported this new program, announced by the White House but there was only one small problem...there were no banks participating in the program yet. When I learned of this from the SBA's Jim Pipper, I called the meeting with members of our locally-based Entrepreneurs Bank Network to see how we might explore how our band of small community banks might lead the way to pioneer this movement.
Solidarity was reached and Jim Pipper promised to keep us in the loop as things developed within the SBA to see how we might all "pull the trigger" and be the first in this space. If we are successful, the State of Arizona will lead our Nation in helping to rebuild its small business infrastructure by offering low cost Stimulus loans to our area's small business through the ARC and other programs. Club Entrepreneur and the eFactory will lead the way for its membership to be the first in line to receive help. Everyone wins here.
Never before in the history of the United States has there been a more important time for small business, small banks and the SBA to collaborate. Yesterday's meeting was the start of this process with its Entrepreneurs Bank Network and we are just getting started.
America dearly needs our help and I firmly believe that it is only through the dedicated and tireless work of her entrepreneurs that this is going to happen. Please join us in the grass roots movement of "We Are America's Bailout," (www.weareamericasbailout.com), Club Entrepreneur (www.clubenetwork.com and the eFactory (www.clubefactory.com) to keep up with what we are trying to do to help the cause.
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
pjb@clubefactory.com
Saturday, April 4, 2009
StartOver Now!
In these devastating financial times, personal bankruptcy filings are reaching unprecedented levels. Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy often results in the loss of secured assets including vehicles and homes being liquidated. Transportation and shelter need to be replaced and the sudden change in the recently bankrupt individual can make this challenging.
In a chance conversation with an attorney friend specializing in personal bankruptcy, I learned that approximately 40 new bankruptcy clients come through his doors each month. Out of these, approximately 20 needed to replace their liquidated vehicles. Likewise, the same number needed to find new living space.
Certain auto dealerships have developed special programs to get newly bankrupt people into automobiles and have offered my attorney friend $500 per car as a referral of his clients that buy a car from the dealership. Ethics laws preclude a professional like an attorney from either offering or receiving commissions from transactions like this. This ruling results in a "loss" of approximately $10,000 per month for current levels of referrals generated by my friend's law firm. It is likely that a similar referral basis of $10,000 per month could be established with select apartment complexes, also with the same restriction precluding the law firm's receipt of the offered fees.
By establishing a third party marketing referral firm, where my friend's law firm refers bankrupt clients in search of vehicles and a new place to live, referral fees can be earned from both the auto dealership and apartment complex in which new customers are secured. To reward my attorney friend for this referral flow, the marketing company can do the same by encouraging both the auto dealership and apartment complex to refer potential bankruptcy clients from those customers that apply for but are turned down because of poor credit issues and may be best served by going through a personal bankruptcy.
In a quick review, it was learned that there are literally hundreds of bankruptcy attorneys here in the Phoenix area and scores of auto dealerships and apartment complexes...all in need of clients. Our marketing company referral system, created for my attorney friend can be scaled to a significant level and then replicated in literally any market across the U.S.
With an estimated $20,000 per month in gross income generated from the cross referrals from the relationship with my attorney friend to start, this business would be profitable from the start and would require minimal resources to launch. A web site, office space and equipment, collateral materials, incorporation and accounting set up are all that is required. Contracts in place with select auto dealers and apartment complexes will require some legal work and the manpower required would be limited to a manager and some clerical work. In this first phase of the business, there should be no more than one full time and one part time employee. It is estimated that this company can be created with $10-$15,000 in start up capital.
As the business model is perfected with the first law firm, auto dealer and apartment complex, scaling the company to additional law firm, auto dealers and apartment complexes in the area can funded internally. Once the model is perfected for multiple vendors, scaling the concept in licensed areas across the country could be considered.
My friend, Steve Bonenberger of Angels In Action (www.angelsinaction.tv) has a nationally syndicated radio program and last Monday-two days after coffee with my attorney-I had the chance to share this concept with 1.5 listeners. Here's the link to the show...
http://archives.warpradio.com/btr/TheSteveBonenbergerShow/033020.mp3
My brilliant co-workers at the Tempe-based eFactory have created the paperwork, financial modeling and workbook outlining the step-by-step process to launching this new business across the country. Interested in being one of our joint venture partners? Get in touch with me at pjb@clubefactory.com.
What better way than this to demonstrate the old maxim of "Doing well by doing good."
Best,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
Club Entrepreneur www.clubenetwork.com
Institute for Entrepreneurship www.clubefactoryedu.com
eFactory www.clubefactory.com
In a chance conversation with an attorney friend specializing in personal bankruptcy, I learned that approximately 40 new bankruptcy clients come through his doors each month. Out of these, approximately 20 needed to replace their liquidated vehicles. Likewise, the same number needed to find new living space.
Certain auto dealerships have developed special programs to get newly bankrupt people into automobiles and have offered my attorney friend $500 per car as a referral of his clients that buy a car from the dealership. Ethics laws preclude a professional like an attorney from either offering or receiving commissions from transactions like this. This ruling results in a "loss" of approximately $10,000 per month for current levels of referrals generated by my friend's law firm. It is likely that a similar referral basis of $10,000 per month could be established with select apartment complexes, also with the same restriction precluding the law firm's receipt of the offered fees.
By establishing a third party marketing referral firm, where my friend's law firm refers bankrupt clients in search of vehicles and a new place to live, referral fees can be earned from both the auto dealership and apartment complex in which new customers are secured. To reward my attorney friend for this referral flow, the marketing company can do the same by encouraging both the auto dealership and apartment complex to refer potential bankruptcy clients from those customers that apply for but are turned down because of poor credit issues and may be best served by going through a personal bankruptcy.
In a quick review, it was learned that there are literally hundreds of bankruptcy attorneys here in the Phoenix area and scores of auto dealerships and apartment complexes...all in need of clients. Our marketing company referral system, created for my attorney friend can be scaled to a significant level and then replicated in literally any market across the U.S.
With an estimated $20,000 per month in gross income generated from the cross referrals from the relationship with my attorney friend to start, this business would be profitable from the start and would require minimal resources to launch. A web site, office space and equipment, collateral materials, incorporation and accounting set up are all that is required. Contracts in place with select auto dealers and apartment complexes will require some legal work and the manpower required would be limited to a manager and some clerical work. In this first phase of the business, there should be no more than one full time and one part time employee. It is estimated that this company can be created with $10-$15,000 in start up capital.
As the business model is perfected with the first law firm, auto dealer and apartment complex, scaling the company to additional law firm, auto dealers and apartment complexes in the area can funded internally. Once the model is perfected for multiple vendors, scaling the concept in licensed areas across the country could be considered.
My friend, Steve Bonenberger of Angels In Action (www.angelsinaction.tv) has a nationally syndicated radio program and last Monday-two days after coffee with my attorney-I had the chance to share this concept with 1.5 listeners. Here's the link to the show...
http://archives.warpradio.com/btr/TheSteveBonenbergerShow/033020.mp3
My brilliant co-workers at the Tempe-based eFactory have created the paperwork, financial modeling and workbook outlining the step-by-step process to launching this new business across the country. Interested in being one of our joint venture partners? Get in touch with me at pjb@clubefactory.com.
What better way than this to demonstrate the old maxim of "Doing well by doing good."
Best,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
Club Entrepreneur www.clubenetwork.com
Institute for Entrepreneurship www.clubefactoryedu.com
eFactory www.clubefactory.com
StartUp Now is changing America...and so can you!
StartUp Now is changing America...and so can you!
On Tuesday, March 31st, our third StartUp Now workshop was held. I'd already blogged about it (http://peterjburns.blogspot.com/2009/04/threes-charm.html
but since then, some remarkable events have happened, which I'd like to share here.
The great video and editing crew of Rob Eckhardt and Paul Rudolph produced this short and effective video on the link below. Check it out.
http://www.weareamericasbailout.com/
One of our guest observers, Jim Tilmon, National television icon and consummate businessman from Chicago has decided to joint venture with us and bring the eFactory, Club Entrepreneur and StartUp Now to his hometown. We've already started the process and Jim and I are meeting at my favorite coffee shop, La Grande Orange today to lay out the action steps together.
The greatest and most powerful result of our third StartUp Now workshop, however, is the fact that one of our participants was a lovely young woman, named Brittany, who is a passionate Youth Advocate and member of a group home of foster children. The communications below show how important the concept of including disenfranchised groups like foster children can be towards to goal of re-building America from within.
I hope that you agree that StartUp Now and its mission truly is greater than any one of us and merits your support and help...wherever you may be...
My friends,
I am so proud of you all! Truly, having Brittany participate in our StartUp Now workshop promises to morph into an integral part of what we are trying to accomplish. All Americans are affected by the downturn in our economy and we must reach out to the disenfranchised like the "aged out" foster children and offer them the same opportunity of becoming part of a start-up business to support themselves.
I think that this is an extremely important movement that should be supported and cultivated and I will commit whatever resources I can to support Jim's great concept and Brittany's "proof in action" by attending and actively participating in the StartUp Now workshop.
Please keep up the momentum and include one or more of your Foster Care students in our upcoming workshops. We will all win because of it!
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
Club Entrepreneur (www.clubenetwork.com)
College of Entrepreneurship (www.clubefactoryedu.com)
EFactory (www.clubefactory.com)
From: Jim Graham
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 15:00:18 -0700
To: Corinne Faiella
Subject: Thank you from Start Up Now workshops!
Greetings, Corinne,
I apologize for my taking this long, but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your role in getting Brittany to the Start Up Now workshop on March 31.
You know Brittany is a remarkable young lady, but I want to just reinforce that with my two cents. She rocks! The business that we formed will provide training and guidance to young people with the entrepreneurial spark so that the youth can form a business that will support them through their higher education and beyond. The business formed would not have been geared at youth if Brittany were not there, or if she was not the strong and confident person that she is.
Brittany proved to me that my idea of including foster children in the Start Up Now workshop series is a good one.
This is what I have posted on all of the local LinkedIn groups of which I am a member:
The greatest thing happened in SUN workshop #3. We were fortunate to have a foster child attend. When foster children 'age out' of the system on their eighteenth birthday, they get a black plastic bag ('matching luggage'), $200, a week in a motel, and a quick boot in the behind as they are kicked out of their group home. This foster child proved to us that there is incredible value, knowledge, perspective, and experience in that population, and we hope to make SUN workshops part of America's bailout for foster kids, too.
By the way, we formed a new business that day, just like every SUN workshop... (I continue from there with the boilerplate about how to register for upcoming SUN workshops.)
If you can possibly send another participant for Friday, April 10, we would appreciate the support, and the rest of the group will get to see the great things we and the previous group saw on March 31.
We are working with Brittany and Susanne to participate in My Fest on April 11. If possible, we'd like to understand the process on your side so that we can help and provide information to the kids, chaperones, foster parents, mentors, and group home leaders that we will meet that day. Right now, my availability is:
Monday, April 6 before noon
Tuesday, April 7 before 11:00
Wednesday, April 8 between 9:00 - 11:00 AM
Thursday, April 9 before 11:00 AM
Please let me know if any of those times works for you.
Thank you twice again; once for Brittany, and once for the work that you do every day!
Kindest Regards,
Jim Graham, MBA
Maximum Business Advantage
602-254-2688
Jim@MBAAZ.com
www.MBAAZ.com
Credat Emptor - 'Let the buyer have trust' Do you earn your customers' trust every day?
Start Up Now workshop on the News: http://www.azfamily.com/video/localnews-index.html?nvid=338251&shu=1
Listen and Subscribe to The CUSTOMER Experience on iTunes: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheCustomerExperience
Get there faster with the MapQuest Toolbar. Try it now.
On Tuesday, March 31st, our third StartUp Now workshop was held. I'd already blogged about it (http://peterjburns.blogspot.com/2009/04/threes-charm.html
but since then, some remarkable events have happened, which I'd like to share here.
The great video and editing crew of Rob Eckhardt and Paul Rudolph produced this short and effective video on the link below. Check it out.
http://www.weareamericasbailout.com/
One of our guest observers, Jim Tilmon, National television icon and consummate businessman from Chicago has decided to joint venture with us and bring the eFactory, Club Entrepreneur and StartUp Now to his hometown. We've already started the process and Jim and I are meeting at my favorite coffee shop, La Grande Orange today to lay out the action steps together.
The greatest and most powerful result of our third StartUp Now workshop, however, is the fact that one of our participants was a lovely young woman, named Brittany, who is a passionate Youth Advocate and member of a group home of foster children. The communications below show how important the concept of including disenfranchised groups like foster children can be towards to goal of re-building America from within.
I hope that you agree that StartUp Now and its mission truly is greater than any one of us and merits your support and help...wherever you may be...
My friends,
I am so proud of you all! Truly, having Brittany participate in our StartUp Now workshop promises to morph into an integral part of what we are trying to accomplish. All Americans are affected by the downturn in our economy and we must reach out to the disenfranchised like the "aged out" foster children and offer them the same opportunity of becoming part of a start-up business to support themselves.
I think that this is an extremely important movement that should be supported and cultivated and I will commit whatever resources I can to support Jim's great concept and Brittany's "proof in action" by attending and actively participating in the StartUp Now workshop.
Please keep up the momentum and include one or more of your Foster Care students in our upcoming workshops. We will all win because of it!
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
Founder
Club Entrepreneur (www.clubenetwork.com)
College of Entrepreneurship (www.clubefactoryedu.com)
EFactory (www.clubefactory.com)
From: Jim Graham
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 15:00:18 -0700
To: Corinne Faiella
Subject: Thank you from Start Up Now workshops!
Greetings, Corinne,
I apologize for my taking this long, but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your role in getting Brittany to the Start Up Now workshop on March 31.
You know Brittany is a remarkable young lady, but I want to just reinforce that with my two cents. She rocks! The business that we formed will provide training and guidance to young people with the entrepreneurial spark so that the youth can form a business that will support them through their higher education and beyond. The business formed would not have been geared at youth if Brittany were not there, or if she was not the strong and confident person that she is.
Brittany proved to me that my idea of including foster children in the Start Up Now workshop series is a good one.
This is what I have posted on all of the local LinkedIn groups of which I am a member:
The greatest thing happened in SUN workshop #3. We were fortunate to have a foster child attend. When foster children 'age out' of the system on their eighteenth birthday, they get a black plastic bag ('matching luggage'), $200, a week in a motel, and a quick boot in the behind as they are kicked out of their group home. This foster child proved to us that there is incredible value, knowledge, perspective, and experience in that population, and we hope to make SUN workshops part of America's bailout for foster kids, too.
By the way, we formed a new business that day, just like every SUN workshop... (I continue from there with the boilerplate about how to register for upcoming SUN workshops.)
If you can possibly send another participant for Friday, April 10, we would appreciate the support, and the rest of the group will get to see the great things we and the previous group saw on March 31.
We are working with Brittany and Susanne to participate in My Fest on April 11. If possible, we'd like to understand the process on your side so that we can help and provide information to the kids, chaperones, foster parents, mentors, and group home leaders that we will meet that day. Right now, my availability is:
Monday, April 6 before noon
Tuesday, April 7 before 11:00
Wednesday, April 8 between 9:00 - 11:00 AM
Thursday, April 9 before 11:00 AM
Please let me know if any of those times works for you.
Thank you twice again; once for Brittany, and once for the work that you do every day!
Kindest Regards,
Jim Graham, MBA
Maximum Business Advantage
602-254-2688
Jim@MBAAZ.com
www.MBAAZ.com
Credat Emptor - 'Let the buyer have trust' Do you earn your customers' trust every day?
Start Up Now workshop on the News: http://www.azfamily.com/video/localnews-index.html?nvid=338251&shu=1
Listen and Subscribe to The CUSTOMER Experience on iTunes: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheCustomerExperience
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Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Three's A Charm...
Well, I honestly didn't think our StartUp Now workshops could get any better than the first two...but I was happily mistaken. Yesterday's (March 31st) workshop was over the top. Expertly led by Sonia and Jim Graham once again, the event was attended by over a dozen diverse and engaged individuals. The attendants and observers ranged from a materials engineer with a Phd. to a former non-profit head, from an 18 year old Youth Advocate for Foster Care to a celebrated National Television Network Weather Anchor from Chicago.
In the span of only six hours, this group of complete strangers came together and formulated a plan to launch a brand new business. This new enterprise, which will include most of the group, fills the need for educating youth in the skills of entrepreneurial education and has a financial model that drives new students into my own university-level entrepreneurship programs at several schools on a shared revenue basis. All of us win on this model, especially the youth who are jump started in self-reliance through future business ownership.
Interestingly enough, this diverse collection of individuals came to the same conclusion that our group at "We Are America's Bailout" has been trumpeting for months...the only way America can back on her feet is through the collective efforts of her entrepreneurs. By introducing entrepreneurship skills to high school age students, we are grooming the next generation of America's "E-class."
Our participant and observer from Chicago was so moved by his visit to the eFactory and attendance at the StartUp Now workshop, that we are meeting this Thursday to discuss how he can bring what we are doing to his hometown of Chicago. Like a former attendee at our March 4th workshop from Atlanta, who has brought our program to his hometown, our new Chicago friend plans on replicating our model of Club Entrepreneur, the eFactory and StartUp Now workshops to Chicago in the very near future.
In attendance was the Business Development Officer of one of our local community banks, an aspiring film maker, an alternate energy entrepreneur from South America and assorted professional from many walks of life. Each was there because they were curious or were seeking a better way through collaboration and entrepreneurship. The process of watching Sonia and Jim skillfully wend their way through the ever-improving agenda to an actual start-up was nothing short of amazing.
Our next StartUp Now workshops are set for April 10th and April 17th and will continue be held our our newly launched Tempe eFactory. We expect to host several members of the City of Phoenix's Economic Development Department team, who we hope will bring our offering to some of the thousands of displaced workers processed through their out placement program each month. It is our firm belief that many of these displaced workers will welcome the opportunity of exploring business ownership rather than face the endless and humbling job search efforts facing the unemployed.
Times are tough for us all-there's no doubt about that. However, through perseverance and collaborating with like-minded Americans banding together in the search for the American Dream of business ownership...we will prevail.
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
In the span of only six hours, this group of complete strangers came together and formulated a plan to launch a brand new business. This new enterprise, which will include most of the group, fills the need for educating youth in the skills of entrepreneurial education and has a financial model that drives new students into my own university-level entrepreneurship programs at several schools on a shared revenue basis. All of us win on this model, especially the youth who are jump started in self-reliance through future business ownership.
Interestingly enough, this diverse collection of individuals came to the same conclusion that our group at "We Are America's Bailout" has been trumpeting for months...the only way America can back on her feet is through the collective efforts of her entrepreneurs. By introducing entrepreneurship skills to high school age students, we are grooming the next generation of America's "E-class."
Our participant and observer from Chicago was so moved by his visit to the eFactory and attendance at the StartUp Now workshop, that we are meeting this Thursday to discuss how he can bring what we are doing to his hometown of Chicago. Like a former attendee at our March 4th workshop from Atlanta, who has brought our program to his hometown, our new Chicago friend plans on replicating our model of Club Entrepreneur, the eFactory and StartUp Now workshops to Chicago in the very near future.
In attendance was the Business Development Officer of one of our local community banks, an aspiring film maker, an alternate energy entrepreneur from South America and assorted professional from many walks of life. Each was there because they were curious or were seeking a better way through collaboration and entrepreneurship. The process of watching Sonia and Jim skillfully wend their way through the ever-improving agenda to an actual start-up was nothing short of amazing.
Our next StartUp Now workshops are set for April 10th and April 17th and will continue be held our our newly launched Tempe eFactory. We expect to host several members of the City of Phoenix's Economic Development Department team, who we hope will bring our offering to some of the thousands of displaced workers processed through their out placement program each month. It is our firm belief that many of these displaced workers will welcome the opportunity of exploring business ownership rather than face the endless and humbling job search efforts facing the unemployed.
Times are tough for us all-there's no doubt about that. However, through perseverance and collaborating with like-minded Americans banding together in the search for the American Dream of business ownership...we will prevail.
Best regards,
Peter J. Burns, III
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